Sustainable Tourism to Tap Into Virtual Reality Potential

July 5, 2016 •

The worldwide tourism industry isn’t unlimited as talks about sustainable tourism, which started at the Chicago Convention in 1944, continues to be the recurring topic at the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) summits.

The matter: 80% of emission travels are currently unaccommodated across all sectors. With various nations planning to put up walls, the problem can still go out of hand even further.

The Tax-Free Internationalism

ICAO’s main point of discussion revolves around the provision in the Chicago Convention which states that planes don’t have to pay tax on fuel or spare parts. By doing so, the already expensive airline charges wouldn’t have to be priced on a higher scale.

Airlines with the internationalist recognition are exempt from any countries’ tax, surcharges, emission caps, and control costs. But, the international application of this effect has no actual form or protocol, as airlines use the taxes to add up to their profit generation with or without the exemption status.

For the travel and tourism industry, this means that tourists and frequent fliers will have lesser chances to explore different destinations.

China’s Move to Disavow Engagements with EU

Just as when the European Union Emission Trading Scheme (EUETS) is about to incorporate its own interpretation of the Chicago Convention flight logistics taxation to promote mixed fare costs for the UK and EU travels, China threated to cancel orders for European Airbuses.

Both U.S. and China deemed the EUETS plan as non-conforming to the ICAO’s international guidelines and therefore stepped in saying that the planned inclusion of international aviation was “illegal tax.”
These events eventually catapulted the current incapability of the emissions today leaving the travel and tourism industry to seek out other options to improve the tourists’ experience.

Virtual Tourism Becoming a Reality Faster than Expected

Tourism currently contributes 5% share of global emissions, but this doesn’t involve other transportation statistics once travelers arrives at their destinations; If discovered however, these figures would convince the UN to overturn the strict regulations of ICAO to enable cheaper flights.
According to Travel Mole, in light with all these, tourism councils and international groups around the world are all leaning towards the fact that there’s an untapped potential in the coming wave of virtual reality technologies.

Given the right approach, enabling the tourists’ to experience a particular destination without having to leave their homes can be a cost-effective way to address the emission problem for now. The 80% unaccommodated market will have a buffer time while the ICAO’s and other unions find out better means to fix the fluctuating airline charges.

Current Virtual Reality Innovations

The most talked about travel and virtual reality technology is the Everest VR from Solfar Studios, which brings the users thrillingly close to the same conditions and nauseating heights of climbing the Mount Everest.

IGN reports: [Solfar Studio] scaled up the mountain, passed through the Hillary Step, and tried to maintain balance while gusts of wind swept by, creating unparalleled moments of fear and exhilaration.

Gamers, non-gamers, and travel enthusiasts will now have the option to trek along the steep paths of the tallest mountain in the world without having to step out of their homes and more destinations very soon.